Method of elastic fixing of the armatures of electric motors upon the driving axles of locomotives



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i este nunonr Herri/resin', or noirsnsrrcnn, swrrznnnenn.

, .METHOD OF ELASTIC FIXNG OF THE RMATURES 0F ELECTRC-MOTORS UPON`THE :DRIVING AXLES OF LOCOIVIOTIVES.

- -pplcation ledDecem'ber 2*, 1921. 'Serial N0.` 519,430.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be itlknown that I, RUDoLr Hermann,

a citizen of the Republicof Switzerland, re-

siding at Romanshorn, Switzerland,` have:` invented a new and usefiil Method of Elastic prolonging the lifejofthe motor armature and driving axle. j i

Locomotiveswith direct driving electric motors having the heavy armature or rotating part of themotor rigidly fixed yon the shaft of the driving axle, have the disadvantage, that the vibrations due to the roughness of the rail surface and to the gaps at the rail joints vwill enormouslystrainthe rails and wheels and armature, the shocks produced being proportionateto thel joint mass of these parts, andas these masses yare so great the axlev shaft has toA be inadevery stiff in order rthat. the/armature should not work loose upon it. Y

. lt would therefore be of very great advantage to the saving of the rails and wheels and'axles, and especiallyalso to the arma-" ture itself, if this latter could be supported elasticallyupon the axle shaft, in lorder to reduce to a possible ininirnuin all shocks and vibrations produced bythe runningon the road. y A f i l It is the objectof the present invention to show simple and effectivel means for,ob.

taining this result, viz: elastic fixing of the armature on `the driving axle. f n

This fixing or supporting should he such, that the flexibility is the vsame. in all radial directions, and equal at both ends'of the armature. ,Further, the springs or elastic parts should if possible not-have Aany motion or loose working surface on either the axle or the armature. Several lforms (nl-,elastic hubs for armatures haver been proposed, but none, so fark as is known, have answered the requirements above noted.

v It has been k'proposed to puta solid sleeve ortube over the axle with some play between the tvv/0,' they sleevey being however.

fixed at one of its ends to the: axle shaft and bearing at its other end on the armature. Butsuch a sleeve if strong enough to prevent breaking, is of necessity more rigid, or much less flexible, than the axle itself.

The flexible fixing, which l now propose is shown yon the adj oined drawing,l iny which Figures l, 3 and t are longitudinalseetions through theI armature and its elastic fixing, showing three different ways of fixing elasticr bars, Iwhich, are arranged around the axle inside the armature, andwhichsupport `the armature by their bending strength. Fig ure 2 is a cross section through the armature shaft and supports shown in Figs. l, 3 and t. Fig 5 isa longitudinal"'vertical section of a modified form of armature support. Fig. 6 isxa -cross section ofthe support shown in Fig. y5. Figures 7 and 8, and 9 and lOrare longitudinal and cross sections respectivelyof bundles ofelastic bars, that' are bentin ahelical forni aroundr'the shaft in the former, and in va seinicircular forni in `thelatter case,`anduwhich also form a unitary structure together with their fixing rings.

In all these figures-1 is the driving axle' shaft ,l2-2 are the driving wheels; 3 is the armature Or rotating part ofthe electric motoryi-l `are the Apole pieces .and 5 the housing or ynonrotating part ofthe motor; 6 6` are the elastic bars; 7 7 are rings to hold these bars together and fix themvto the axle shaft l; 8 8 are rings lon the inside of the armature,to hold the bars against it` The ringsf'-J? have to be keyedor otherwise fixed to the shaft,vand the rings 8--8 must be'solidly'fixed to the armature, in` order that the turning or rotating movement of the electric current. acting on the armature be transmitted on to the axle-shaft and drivey the wheels 9-,9 are springs for centering the armatiire. f

InFigurejl thellg rings7-7 are identical ivith the bosses or hubs ot the driving wheels. The straight elastic bars 6-6 pass through them from end to end and bear n1 L 'i i .L n V i the rings 8-8 in the armature o. ,lhese bars 6 are prel'erably'made'voff'hardenedA steel, and their'flexlblhty'should besuch,

that the so-called critical numbeiI 'otrevofV lutlons of the armature, inconsidermgats mass and the possible one-sided attraction or magnetic pull ofthe `p'olepie'ces"fbe "much above the maximal numberlotLrevo'lutions.

oi' the driving Wheels. By varying the diameter of the bars 'andthenumber 'of 'ba-rs all the small but very 'rapid andfconstantly .occurring vibrations.

The arrangement 4of'elastic-bars asshown in Fig. l has the advantage, that the'bars can individually be exchanged vfithout removing any one of Vthe `Wheels 'fronitheexle ln the Figure 3 an arraiigement isshoWn with vrings 747 `incliper'ident Ko'tithevvheel hubs, in order not 'to pe'rforate the latter.

In Figure el the order ot`"'lixmg rings 1s reversed; nan'iely'one or two rings 7-'7' are and the lfixed near the middle oilfthe'r axle,v holding rings `8-`8 y.oiithe armature side ofthe rings T457.

are out- The armature is lhere shoivnfas constructed ot' two telescoping sections each having an 1nternal flange or ring S. formed ther-con. The elasticrods 6 aremade Ain theliorm ot longbolts which lare passedfthrough'the rings4 S-S and through 4. a central ring 7 on the' shaft l, rsaid .rods being. providedwith heads and nuts so7that they connect to `tivo sec-` tions 'ofthe armature togetherf CoilV springs 9 sui'roun l..tl1e rods G and are interposed be tween .the rii'igs- T and the two onto rings 8 8. rllhese rings torniabutment for the ends oil-the springs and asthe b to yieldingly hold .the armature agai'nstfaxial movement dueto vside thrusts when curves `in the road are encountered.

ln Figs. 5 and Gtlleelastxo bars" (S, are

, :termed integral irithithe rings Vlixedorl in any suitable n the shaft and the ture. f lhisone pies helical asshoxvn infligs. 'fandS,

` The axle and armature may becl-a'sthally' connected together by] springs 6 'havin the' `form ,shownA in" 9v land v10.,"` These' springs are substantially Uishaped .and are'V interposed between the'rings 7, xed on the" .shatt v1 @een,bothendsA offtheV` armature vand vdric'al members together, and aring txedi'on "'th'e'r'ings 8 exeain-rhedsofthearmature Y ars 'G- are Y slidable 1n the ring, 7, said springs operate' ift d to'lfghe-arlna-' of flexible supporting rods .slidably which `are recessed to receive the latter rings.

rThe housing of the field pole pieces or stator may be supported in any known Way, either hung on the spring-borne car body, or :fixed on a slightly elastic frame, that is car- -ried directly by the axle boxes, short springs being"interposed between this frame and the stator.

l claim:

'1. In'an electric vehicle, the combination with lthe vehicle axle, and driving Wheels fixed l thereon, VAifflexible supporting members connected with the axle, an armature surroundingthe'faxle vand supporting members."'and means 'connect-ing the Aarmature to saidlmembersv adapted'to permit a limited axial'movement ot' thefarmature relative to theaxle.v f' l 2, In ran electric vehicle, the combination with `the vehiclel axle andz'f-drivingwheels liXed thereon, of'a'n armature sleeve. surrounding the `axle and spaced therefrom, yielding supporting memberskinterposed betiveenthey axle and sleeve,-^means connecting.

the supporting members to the axle,"'and n means connecting the sleeveftdthe'isupportfing' members adaptedto permit a'limited axial movenient of thesleeve relative tothe axle. a

3. "In an elec-tric vehicle,the combination with the vehicle axle, and-driving Wheels fixed thereon, ofjan armaturesurrounding vthe axle and spaced l therefron'n ringsl `fixed on theaxle and armature, andtlexiblesupporting `members interposed* between the-axle and armature and 'so connected with the rings as to permit a limited `axial "movement of the armaturef relative to the: axle.

n il. In an electricvehicle," the combination with the vehicle axle,"and' driving' wheels .fixed thereon, oi an' armature'surrounding f the axle, aring lixedonthe latter, .rings fixed inside thearmature,.and a plurality offl'exible supporting rods slid'ably mounted inthe ring on the axle and connected tothe rings in the armature.'

5. In an electric vehicle,the .combination with' the vehicle axle, and drivingsvheels :fixed Vthereon` foi" an armature surroundino' i "3 the/axle, a ringffixed outhc latter, rings 'lixedinsldethe armature, and a uialitv l l v 'mounted the ring onthe axle andftlxed 'inftlle rings inthe armature.

"bers surroundin the axle, vrings Vix'ed on the "inside o'lz eachlmemberftlexible rods passing "through said rrings and connecting' the 'cylin- 'the'axle forming a'bearing/rontherods.

'7. In an electricJ vehicle, the combination lindrical. members together, a ring fixedn with the vehicle axle, and driving Wheels the axle forming va bearing for the rods, and. ixed thereon, of anv armature sleeve comspiral springs Surrounding the latter bel0 prising two telescopinfr cylindrical memtween the rings.

5 bers surrounding` the ax e, rings fixed 0n the n testimony that I claim the Jforegoing inside of each member, flexible rods passing as my invention, I have siffned my name. through said rings and connecting the ey- RUDOLF OFFMANN. 

